Check out our latest travel and tourism lecturer jobs.
It may seem obvious but having a passion for travel, tourism and leisure, as well as a desire to impart your wisdom to students, will be looked upon favourably by employers. The role can be very varied, making it perfectly suited for inquisitive souls who have a wanderlust one hand, to those who love interacting with others.
Jo Patel, travel and tourism lecturer at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, explains that course units typically taught include those that focus on tourism-specific units, such as event management, hospitality, hotels and restaurants and tour operators. Then there are units focussing on transferrable skills that can be used across business, employability, marketing and customer services.
Jo is clear that gaining in-depth knowledge about the industry is a must. She says you’ll need to be a “sponge”. Empathy is another key skill that she highlights when dealing with the often challenging situations of students. Above all else, she states that you must “stay motivated and enthusiastic with a smile on your face, because working in tourism is all about selling yourself as a service”.
Unlike some other teaching roles in the further education (FE) sphere, you should be able to become a leisure, tourism or travel teacher without needing a degree. You’ll be expected to hold a minimum of a Level 3 qualification in the subject and be willing to study for a teaching qualification. That said, “possession of a teaching qualification would probably enhance your chances of appointment”. Relevant experience is also prized in this role.
Jo describes working full-time in the tourism industry as “essential” to being successful in your job application. After gaining real-life experience, you should look to gaining a part-time PGCE teaching qualification, sponsored by your institution. Taking up CPD learning is recommended to keep your skill levels topped up.
There is one sure-fire way of ensuring that your knowledge of the subject is relevant and up-to-date — when Jo was working in the tourism sector, but teaching part-time, she explains that she “took - and passed! - the exams the students took to ensure [she] knew the syllabus [she] had to teach”.
A qualified and experienced leisure, tourism or travel FE teacher has the opportunity to become head of the department. The key responsibilities of the Programme Leader in Tourism, Hospitality & Events at Blackpool and The Fylde College include having control over key areas such as recruitment, curriculum content and quality indicators.
As a leisure, tourism or travel FE teacher, you will be expected to forge relationships with industry. For example, West London College has built up extensive links with employers, such as British Airways, Emirates Airlines, Heathrow Terminals 3 and 5 and Swissport, with many students going on to work in the airline industry.
An unqualified FE teacher can expect to earn around £19,758 to £23,325, while a qualified FE teacher can usually expect to earn anything between £24,702 and £37,258, depending on experience.
There are lots of FE teachers working in FE who work part-time with these roles paid at hourly rates, which are dependent on the level of course taught.
Find travel and tourism lecturer jobs here.
https://www.aocjobs.com/career-advice/day-in-the-life-of-a-travel-and-tourism-programme-managerlecturer
https://www.aocjobs.com/job/89763/programme-leader-tourism-hospitality-and-events-at-blackpool-and-the-fylde-college
https://www.feadvice.org.uk/sites/www.feadvice.org.uk/files/001%20Information%20sheet%20revised%20April%202018_0.pdf
https://www.wlc.ac.uk/courses/travel,-leisure-tourism
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/further-education-teacher
https://www.aocjobs.com/jobs/teaching-lecturing/leisure-travel-tourism
